Trump says Putin wants to make a deal in Ukraine

US President Donald ​Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "great" ‌conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week and that the Russian leader wanted to make a deal to end the war ​in Ukraine.

"He is wanting to make a deal, ​and if (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy is wanting to make ⁠a deal, that'd be very nice," Trump told reporters ​before boarding Air Force One en route to Dallas for ​the Republican National Convention.

Trump spoke over the phone with Putin on Tuesday, shortly after US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared ​Kushner, returned from a diplomatic swing through Moscow and ​Kyiv. The duo, who are in charge of most major peace negotiations ‌for ⁠the US, discussed potential proposals to bring the war to a close.

Last month, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe met with intelligence officials in Moscow, in part to encourage ​Russian officials ​to end their ⁠invasion.

Despite those efforts and Trump's statements, intelligence officials in the US, Ukraine and throughout ​Europe continue to doubt Putin is seriously ​interested in ⁠ending his ongoing war, now in its fourth year.

"The holdup is two people who hate each other," Trump told reporters, ⁠referring ​to Putin and Zelenskiy.

"I think more ​than anything else, it's two people that hate each other."